Refugee Influx to DRC from Burundi | Situation Update | 07 June 2015

UNICEF DRC / 2015 / Seck

Democratic
Republic of
the Congo
Situation in Numbers Highlights

9,932
Burundian refugees have arrived in
South Kivu since the beginning of the
crisis; 8,799 (89%) are living with host
families.

629
refugees have been relocated to the
Lusenda site since the start of
relocation activities on 1 June.

2,386
refugees is UNHCRs target for
relocation by mid-June.
The total capacity of the site is 5,000
people. UNHCR and government
authorities are looking at options for a
second site.
15-20% of refugees are not favorable
to relocation according to UNHCR
relocation intentions surveys.

190
families (455 people) are living in
precarious conditions at the Luvungi
spontaneous site in Uvira territory.
30 families (80 persons) are living in
classrooms in Lubarika.

9
unaccompanied children have been
placed in temporary foster care by
UNICEF partner, AVREO

On 30 May UNICEF RRMP (Rapid Response to Movements of

Population) partner IRC (International Rescue Committee) launched

an emergency vaccination campaign to immunize 66,823 refugee and
host family children aged between 0 and 59 months against polio and
59,752 between 6 and 59 months against measles.
Uvira territory, where the majority of refugees are living, is a cholera-

endemic area. No cases have yet to be reported among the refugee

population. UNICEF and Oxfam have set up 10 chlorination points
along rivers and lake areas where refugees and host community
members are getting water.
UNICEF and partners have assisted the integration of 1,800 refugee

children into primary schools in Uvira and Fizi territory.

The Common Humanitarian Pooled Fund will allocate up to 3 M USD

to national and international NGOs for the Burundi refugee response

with a focus on WASH, NFI/Shelter, Education, and Nutrition.
Next week, UN agencies will be finalizing proposals to CERF for funds

to cover four months of activities focusing on gaps in Health, Nutrition,

Food Security, Protection, and Logistics; UNICEF will submit
proposals in Health/Nutrition and Protection.

For more information

Pascal Villeneuve, Representative, pvilleneuve@unicef.org
Aude Rigot, Chief of Emergencies, arigot@unicef.org
Yves Willemot, Chief of Communication, ywillemot@unicef.org

Refugee Influx to DRC from Burundi | Situation Update

Summary Analysis of Programme Response
Health and nutrition
From 30 May to 3 June, UNICEF and its RRMP partner, IRC conducted an emergency vaccination campaign
aimed at immunizing 66,823 refugee children and host family children aged 059 months against polio and
59,752 between 659 months against measles. The campaign covered 28 health areas in the health zones of
Fizi, Nundu, Lemera, Ruzizi, Uvira and Nyangezi.
Access to quality health care for refugees and host families: Free medical assistance via RRMP started
on 30 May in Luvungi health center 2, Mulongwe and Bwegera. Coordination with other health actors is underway with the likelihood that UNICEF and IRC will expand the RRMP response to other health structures.
Management of severe acute malnutrition: 225 cartons of RUTF / PNNP, 30 cartons of therapeutic milk
have been made available to government partner, PRONANUT, for the care of up to 1,096 malnourished. On 2
June, IRC started training nutrition care providers to begin nutritional screening and care activities in Luvungi,
Katokota, Lubarika (Lemera health zone) and Nazareno (Ruzizi health zone).
UNICEF has pre-positioned to the refugee influx areas 2,000 litres of Ringer Lactate and 15,000 litres of oral
rehydration salts (ORS) for cholera treatment and enough medicines to treat 2,000 malaria patients.
Essential medicines and supplies for treatment of another 9,000 people have also been pre-positioned in the
area.
Monitoring activities: IRCs RRMP health teams have deployed in all six health areas for monitoring activities in the supported structures.

WASH
As part of a cholera prevention campaign, on 2 June, UNICEF and Oxfam opened 10 chlorination points in Uvira territory where there are the highest concentrations of refugees and host families. Six of the chlorination
points are on the rivers of Mulongwe, Kavimvira and Kalimabenge while four others are on the shores of Lake
Tanganyika.

Education
UNICEF has assisted more than 1,800 Burundian refugee children to be integrated in 35 schools in Fizi and
Uvira territories. In partnership with sub-provincial Ministry of Health partners, exam fees were paid for 85 repatriated Congolese children (previously refugees in Burundi) to take the end of primary studies exam or ENAFEP
on 4-5 June. Once refugees are relocated to Lusenda, accelerated learning classes will be organized for children who followed Burundian curriculum.

Child Protection
Nine unaccompanied children have so far been placed in foster families under the supervision of
UNICEF partner AVREO. Working together with UNHCR and ICRC, coordination mechanisms have been put
in place with child protection actors and border authorities at strategic crossing points in order to rapidly identify,
register, and assist unaccompanied and separated children. UNICEF partner AVREO has the capacity to provide interim care to 130 children using a network of 50 foster families trained and equipped to provide care and
assistance to children until they are reunified with their families. Although children constitute an important part of
the refugees arriving, to date the vast majority of them are accompanied by family members or community
members, although some of them are under the responsibility of young adults (19-20 years old).

Refugee Influx to DRC from Burundi | Situation Report #1 07 June 2015